St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-09
The Railroad Commissioners Of the
Northwestern States Convene at the
State House Yesterday.
Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Colorado
u Are Not Represented in the
q Imposing Body.
The Long and Short Haul Clause Is
c Wildly Ripped Up the Back
in Debate.
A Resolution Passed Pavoring Suspen-
sion Of This Clause by the Interstate
u Commission When Needed.


sembled at the capitol yesterday morn
ing at 10 O'clock and proceeded to organ
iZe. There were present:
Wisconsin--Atley Peterson
Iowa-Peter A. Dey, S. S. Coffin, E. G. Nor
gan, secretary.
Nebraska-A. P. Mason, j. H. Aver, Charles
Buschow, Ii. NJ Warning.
Dakota-A. Boynton. M. II, Smith, j. M.
Quinn, secretary.
Minnesota-Gov. Austin, j. l.. Gibbs, Gen.
Becker, Il. S. Warner, secretary.
Temporary organization was effected
with Peter A. DEFY in the chair, Il. g..
Morgan acting as secretary. A telegram
was received from the Missouri board Of
commissioners, stating that the leg
islature was in session there
and the commissioners would
not get away. The Illinois commission
ers sent word that they expected to
come, up to the last minute, but couldn't
get away. The Kansas board was pre-
vented from coming on account of a
business engagement, while nothing
was heard from Colorado.
The following committees were APP
pointed:
Uniform Freight Classifcation-Cofii
Smith, Peterson, Mason and Becker.
Programme-Goy. Austin, Peterson, Ager,
Boynton, Coffin.
In speaking on the question of freight
classification Chairman Dey said the OBJ
ject was to secure classification over the
entire country, not alone in the North
western states as outlined by the con-
mittee. He said it was one of the most
serious questions the Iowa commission
ers had to deal with-to change classifi-
cation of freight in transit. He re-
marked:
Nov Supp0Sing you receive through
consignment of freight from New York.
When it reaches Chicago the classified
ton is changed. This is particularly
noticeable in plate glass. From New
fourth class and from the latter place
the classification is first Or second class.
Therefore, think, we should have a
joint classification which will cover
everything. | do not mean to say we
can secure this, but we can bring the
question forward"
Gen. Becker, who was one of the
committee in question, was under the
impression that they were only to deal
with the ma ter in so far as it related to
the Northwestern states. He was glad
to know that the chairman took wider
view of the question, and thought that
the conference could do much towards
securing general classification.
all Invitation from Gen. Becker to dine
with him at the Minnesota club house
and adjourned.
e.. AFTERNOON SESSION.
The commissioners reassembled at 2
O'Clock and adopted the report of the
committee on programmes, which intro
duced for discussion the following
+ subjects:
/ Interstate commerce law; safety appliances
on freight cars; should railroad work on Sun
daysbe prohibited by law: should the hours
OF u run by train crew be limited by statute;
the principle of basing freight rates on
what the traffic will bear what appliances,
if any. for lessening: danger from fires
kindled from passing locomotives should
railroad companies be required TO adopt;
: t2,iifoImity in REPORTS; addresses from attor
news representing any railroad.
Gov. Austin was made permanent
2 chairman, and E. S. Warner secretary,
, after which the discussion of the inter
state commerce law began. The long
and short haul clause was the bone
upon which the commissioners fell most
greedily, and the afternoon was spent in
tearing it to pieces and setting
it together again. N. T.. Smith
of Dakota, was so overcome by the dis
cussion that he laid down on sofa and
slept. At the close of the afternoon seS-
sion he said he would be obliged to re-
turn home Immediately as he had re-
ceiyed news of serious illness i'll his
family.
The ball was fairly set in motion by
Peter A. Dey, of Iowa, who claimed that
many Iowa industries, from the peculiar
location of the state, were suffering
from the effects of the short and long
haul clause. He cited as an illustration
the case. OF a mandatory
Of ri
to a large community. There was but
one other manufact0ry of the same kind
in the United States, and that was at
Little Falls, New York state. On ac-
count of the excessive freight rates, the
Grinnell mandatory, which was
obliged to purchase its lumber, canvas,
ETC., from New York, would be obliged
to move from its present location near
general market, as it could not
compete with the mandatory
at Little Falls. He wanted
to know of discrimination in favor of the
Grinnell mandatory would not be
juStifiable.
l.. S. Coffin, of Iowa, said that what
! the commission wanted to find out was
if the enforcement of the long and
short haul clause would crush out the
industries in the small towns and drive
them to the large cities where compe-
tition was greater. He claimed that
nearly every man who voted for the
passage of the interstate commerce law
ON the floor of congress declared that
he didn't know what he was voting for.
He believed that the men
WHO CONCEIVED THE LAW
intended that it should correct abuses,
and he wanted to know if it was cor
recting abuses as it is now interpreted.
He wanted to have the ideas of the COM
misSionerS expressed candidly and
openly. AS for himself, if the law was
going to crush out small industries and
manufactures in small towns he wanted
to see it repealed.
Judge 0. p. Mason, of Nebraska, said
that personally he was opposed to the
r interstate commerce law, and thought
that any law that is not flexible is a bad
! law He believed that when the people
4 clammored for a law that would
1 absolutely prevent discrimination
|, the4tpeOple didn't know what they were
J claihmoring for. He thought that the
|, only remedy now is in moderation of
! thelaw and making it flexible, so that
it could be applied to different cases
/, that seemed to demand dis
|, elimination, according to the dis
! cretion of the railroad commits
|, Si0ters in each state, who should be
elected by the people, the decision of
theieommissioners to be subject to APP
peal to the courts. He claimed that
since the interstate commerce law went
into effect there was not Touring
miip in Nebraska that was doing
-m0fe than toll business.
GET. Becker said he was friend of
the interstate law. Believed it was a
good law and one that the people
wanted. The railroads had had it in
their power to ruin men and their
business. He thought that pub
lie carriers shou Id treat every
man on an equal footing.
Railroad corporations should not be
treated as nriyate bodies Their fran-